About me

As far back as I can remember, I have always had an interest for crafts. Whether reading about them in craft books and how -to books in the library because of course it was before the computer, or trying to make them myself. From a poor Portuguese immigrant family in Canada when money was either to buy groceries, pay for the mortgage or save for the future, craft supplies were non existent. School art supplies were limited to students in grade school, but crayons and paper were plenty enough with which to create. Crayons became my media for rendering oil paintings. And when History projects were required, I made models to display my knowledge since the language was much more difficult to master. And so for a discussion on English History, I modeled dolls from aluminum foil usually available in the kitchen and covered them with grocery bag paper in what I would learn later was a form of découpage . I’m not a foreigner to glue and paper and to date enjoy the manipulation of glue and other materials. The same grocery bag paper became the layers of clothing, hats, bags, shoes and so forth.

When I started to work and could afford to buy materials yarns and fabrics became my choices as I could put them to use in making presents and clothing to wear. It used to be that you would knit, crochet or sew for a fraction of the cost. Now you do it because you enjoy and can afford to buy the materials to make that heirloom piece or just the right baby item for your grandchildren.

First introduced to Dollhouse Miniatures in the early 90’s by my good friend Janine of “minworks.blogspot.ca” when she invited me to go along with her friend Elizabeth of “studioeminiatures.blogspot.ca” to the Seattle Dollhouse Show. What a great time I had! Never knew what I had been missing, and although I fought it by saying I could never start the crazy hobby as I would not know where to begin. But I did begin when I was smitten by a little porcelain figurine of a Victorian lady carrying an umbrella which I bought just for a souvenir. The following year, we went again and another purchase, just for a souvenir of our trip no doubt! And so each trip the souvenirs got bigger until the purchase of a well appointed Chrysnbon stove by Sue Ayers displaying an entire family dinner cooking including a pie in the oven triggered the big question…..am I pursuing the hobby?

After an extended leave from Canada when hubby, the children and I ventured out to sail around the world from 1993 to 1997, I came back to be reunited with Dollhouse miniatures. Now I was about to take the hobby seriously. In our travels anything I saw was judged as a possible miniature. The commitment was underway. And so it began. The “Garfield” was purchased for me by my mother, who, sorry to say, did not have a chance to see it completed. It was after a lot of research and thought process which I decided on the “Garfield”, not to surprising that it would be my first project and that it would be an enormous one. I’m not known for doing or starting anything the easy way! Yep, my first macrame plant hanger was a 6? high floor lamp with a table in the center on which to place a plant. I always have to find a twist and can’t leave well enough alone.

And a few years later, I had found myself with quite the collection and the house we’ll just call “Garfield” from here on, was started and I must say “kit bashed”. Didn’t like the windows, didn’t like the wood staircase it came with etc. For a little distraction from woodworking, I started to play with making my own minis. My mother was a tailor, my aunt was a seamstress, my father was an woodworker who concentrated on lathe work into his senior years and my husband who is a master woodworker, all influenced my ability to create and so I did, and as any other miniaturist, you don’t just make one of. You make lots because you want to improve or you want to see how a different bit of lace or bead would look on the same project. So an Ebay account was created and I sold many items, such as sweaters, christening outfits, wood vases, which I turned on a miniature lathe and so forth. Ebay was the beginning of my trade name “beauxminis”. And so after 15 years, here I am. I hope you enjoy my past travels in the miniature world as I build this website (blog) and share them with you through my photo gallery. I will share my present and hope to take you into my future in the adventures of “beauxminis” through the creative world of Dollhouse Miniatures.